Project management is critical to an organization’s overall performance, particularly if you provide outsourcing services to international clients. Companies expect project teams to deliver consistently and quickly in today’s industries, given the growing competition. When compared to earlier results, only excellent project management strategies can make your performance better, faster, and more efficient.
Project managers plan, coordinate, and manage resources in order to maximize the team’s production and efficiency. According to the Project Management Institute, a project manager needs a combination of business management and leadership abilities in addition to essential technical skills to ensure a project’s success.
Here’s the ultimate checklist that project managers of distributed teams and remote workforces should examine to dramatically boost results and effectively manage outsourced projects.
1. Have a kickoff meeting.
All project stakeholders are invited to this initial meeting, and their relation to the project’s major objectives is discussed. An outsourcing project manager also makes sure that everyone’s interests are matched. A project launch meeting makes it easier to build a workable communication plan for the project by bringing everyone on the same page and presenting everyone who is involved in parties.
2. Define the project’s scope and goals.
It is critical to create a project scope management plan and have it approved by all parties involved. Establishing a scope definition and a clear list of objectives early in the project life cycle is also critical. Don’t forget to address performance benchmarks, deliverables, restrictions, and other important aspects of the project.
3. Over-communicate
In outsourcing project management, constant open communication is critical to a project’s success. Throughout the project’s lifecycle, project managers must keep all stakeholders informed. To come up with a good project plan that benefits everyone, it’s best to meet with all stakeholders first and grasp their expectations throughout the planning phase.
4. Request feedback
There is never a perfect solution because there is always opportunity for improvement. You can ensure that the final output meets the client’s expectations by incorporating a feedback loop into your project process. You can also use feedback to concentrate on learning from your mistakes and avoiding them in the future. As an outsourcing project manager, you may also solicit feedback from your team so that you can better understand your strengths and limitations and work to improve your project management abilities.
5. Make a resource list.
There is no such thing as an unlimited budget for an outsourced project team. Even team members and project managers will frequently be tasked with managing many projects at the same time, necessitating excellent resource management. A resource plan outlines all of the available resources as well as how they are being used. In a straightforward and intelligible format, modern project management software automatically displays how your resources are distributed and their availability.
6. Form a risk response group.
Any project entails some level of risk. Effective project managers of outsourcing teams do their best to reduce project risks, but they also plan for the worst-case situation. Having an active risk response team will save you time and money by allowing you to deal with any potentially dangerous scenario as soon as it arises. According to the PMI, 27% of companies said they always utilize elaborate risk management methods in their projects in 2018.
7. Ensure that the project is transparent.
Transparency in projects within the team is at the top of the list when it comes to the best project management strategies – outsourced or not. It is one of the key qualities that distinguish agile project teams from other teams in comparable situations. Project collaboration amongst teams can be more effective when everyone is on the same page and has a clear view of the larger picture.
8. Anticipate and accommodate requests for changes.
Your outsourced project’s scope can be altered, and seasoned project managers always have a change management strategy in place. The tiniest change requests can sometimes compound into a major burden for the team, leading to the project spiraling out of control. This is known as scope creep, and it was a major issue that afflicted more than half of all projects in 2018. Every single modification request from the clients should be documented as part of proper project management practice.
9. Make sure all paperwork is in order.
Maintaining a complete project log where every decision is documented is one of the greatest project management techniques. You can simply get any new members up to speed in a short period of time if you have sufficient documentation. Similarly, if you or other project managers run into a similar difficulty later, you and other project managers can refer to the project record. You must, however, remain vigilant. Many project managers get overly concerned with maintaining accurate documentation, losing sight of the project’s true goal.
10. Don’t set unrealistic goals for yourself.
To set themselves apart from their competitors, everyone wants to go above and beyond. Some outsourcing project managers, on the other hand, go too far by setting unrealistic project milestones and agreeing on dates or features that are very impossible to meet. Clients may lobby for a faster completion time, and the manager may give in to the pressure. The project and the team working on it, however, suffer as a result.
You might be able to pull it off and deliver on time if you work numerous caffeine-fueled evenings in a week, but it is counterproductive. Exhaustion has a substantial impact on the end product’s quality and has a negative impact on the team’s morale and motivation. Effective project managers recognize the limitations of team management and, on sometimes, stand up to clients.
11. Evaluate and consider your performance.
Learning from your mistakes in order to improve yourself is possibly the oldest technique in the book, and effective outsourcing project managers usually insist on making it a must. Hold a meeting where all team members review the project’s flaws and the project management tactics they’ll need to address them.
It will benefit the team, and you will have the opportunity to improve yourself. As a project manager, this exercise can also help you identify team members who may require more training in order to improve their project management skills in the future.
If you have other questions about outsourcing or project management, get in touch with 6x Gold Microsoft Partner ClinkIT Solutions today.
